Desk type lamp



June 13, 1950 w, MASTERSQN 2,511,780

DESK TYPE LAMP Filed July 25, 1946 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 IN V EN TOR.

June 13, 1950 w. F. MASTERSON DESK TYPE LAMP 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed July 25, 1946 zzvmvrox. Mumfmsrmson ATTORNEYS Patented June 13, 1950 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE DESK TYPE LAMP William F. Masterson, Decatur, Ill., assignor, by mesne assignments, to Faries Manufacturing Company, Chicago, 111., a corporation of Illinois Application July 25, 1946, Serial No. 686,245

3 Claims. 1

This invention relates to an improved lamp. and particularly to lamps of the so-called desk type which are designed to entirely shield the light source from the eyesof the user while distributing light upon the working plane such as a desk or table where it is needed.

It is an object of this invention to provide an improved lamp of increased efliciency which will provide wide area illumination of a working surface such as a desk or table top.

A particular object of this invention is to provide an improved desk lamp which is composed of simple, readily manufacturable parts and may be readily assembled into a lamp of pleasing appearance and rugged construction.

A further object of this invention is to provide an improved desk type lamp wherein a main light reflector for directing the rays of light from a light source downwardly is supported on the top of a pedestal member in a unique and extremely simplified manner.

Another object of this inventionis to provide an improved desk lamp construction wherein a downwardly directed main reflecting surface is supported on the top of a pedestal member in overlying relationship to a light bulb laterally supported by such pedestal member, and wherein an auxiliary reflector is detachably mountable upon the pedestal member in underlying relationship to the light bulb, so that the desk lamp may be selectively utilized to provide entirely reflected illumination when the auxiliary reflector is assembled to the lamp, or to provide direct illumination upon a working surface by removal of the auxiliary reflector.

The specific nature of the invention as well as other objects and advantages thereof will clearly appear to those skilled in the art from the following detailed description of the annexed sheets of drawings which, by way of preferred example only, illustrate one specific embodiment of the invention.

On the drawings:

Figure 1 is a front elevational view, partly in section of an assembled lamp embodying this invention;

Figure 2 is a side elevational View, partly in section, of the lamp of Figure 1;

Figure 3 is a bottom elevational view of the lamp of Figure 1;

Figure 4 is a partial vertical sectional view taken through the base portion of the lamp of Figure 1;

Figure 5 is an enlarged scale, sectional view, taken along the plane VV of Figure 1 and illus- 2 trating the path of the light beams emitted by the light source of the lamp;

Figure 6 is a perspective view showing the assemblage of the auxiliary reflector to the pedestal member; and

Figure 7 is a perspective view similar to Figure 6, but showing the auxiliary reflector in disassembled relationship with respect to the pedestal member.

As shown on the drawings:

For illustrative purposes, this invention will be described in connection with its application to a lamp of the so-called desk lamp type. The lamp comprises a generally rectangular base casting Ii) having down-turned peripheral edges I l across the bottom face of which is mounted a sheet [2 of felt or similar material. A suitable aperture M in base In accommodates a grommet 3 through which the electrical wires (not shown) for the lamp may be conveniently led into the interior of the base I 0.

A hollow pedestal member l8 of artistic configuration is provided having at its bottom end an outwardly projecting threaded stud 19 which may be conveniently secured to pedestal 18 by being molded therein. Stud [9 projects through a suitable aperture l5 provided in the base 10 and a nut 26 is threaded thereon to effect the assembly of the pedestal member l8 to the base l0. Preferably a plurality of pins 16 are pressed into suitable aligned apertures in the bottom portion of pedestal member 13 and the top wall of base In to prevent relative rotation of the pedestal member IS with respect to the base l0. Aligned apertures 2| and 22 are likewise respectively provided in the pedestal member I8 and base It to permit the electrical wires (not shown) to pass from the interior of the base ill into the interior of the hollow pedestal member 18. An electric switch 40 may be conveniently mounted in a suitable aperture provided in the front wall of pedestal member is at a point near the bottom thereof.

The top portion of hollow pedestal member l8 defines a laterally opening recess 28. Within such recess an electric socket 25, which may comprise any one of several well known forms, is mounted as by being threadably engaged upon the projecting threaded end of a stud 23 which may be secured in the back wall M of recess 28 by being molded therein. The socket 25 accommodates an electric light bulb 2'! of the conventional screw plug base type. A suitable radial aperture 26 is provided in socket 25 to permit connection of the electric wires (not shown) thereto in conventional manner,

A main reflector 32 is provided comprising an integral member of generally circular configuration which defines a downwardly facing, concave reflecting surface 34. The central portions of reflecting surface 34 are formed of a relatively large radius of curvature, while the marginal portions 34?) of reflecting surface 34 have a relatively small radius of curvature. The top surface I811 of pedestal I8 is arcuately shaped to conform to the marginal portions of reflecting surface 34 and hence the pedestal member [3 may be conveniently utilized to support the main reflector 32 by having the reflecting surface 34 rest on the arcuately shaped top surface 8a. Suitable rivets 33 (Figure l) are provided passing through the main reflector 32 into holes 33d provided in top surface lSa of pedestal member [8 by which the main reflector is rigidly secured to the pedestal member It. In its assembled position on pedestal member [8, main reflector 32 is disposed relative to the light bulb 2! in such mannor that the filament of light bulb 2! lies substantially on the central axis of main reflector 32. Such an arrangement, coupled with the par- .ticular shape of the reflecting surface as, insures that the light emitted by reflection from surface-34 will be diffused over a wide area.

With the construction thus far described, the lamp might be conveniently utilized to produce direct illumination of a desk or table top. However, in the event that it is desired that all of the light produced by the lamp shall be reflected prior to incidence upon the working-surface, then, in accordance with this invention, an auxiliary reflector ill is provided which insures that all of the light emanating from the lamp will be of the reflected type. Auxiliary reflector 3! comprises an integral member shaped substantially similar to half of a conventional light bulb and has an upwardly directed reflecting surface 3 la. To detachably secure the auxiliary reflector 3! on the lamp, a pair of pins 29 are pressed into the lateral faces of the recess defining walls of the pedestal member [8. Thei'projecting ends of pin 29 are bent over at right angles as indicated at 29a and these bent over portions cooperate respectively with holes 38 (Figure '7) provided in the neck portion of the auxiliary reflector 3i. Since auxiliary reflector 3! is preferably formed of sheet metal or plastic it is resiliently deformable to a limited extent and hence may be readily expanded into engagement with the supporting pins 2? In such assembled position, the auxiliary reflector 3i underlies the lower half portions of the light bulb Z'l. Preferably the lamp construction is arranged so that the lower marginal portion 32a of the main reflector 32 overlaps in a vertical direction the upper marginal portion 3!?) of the auxiliary reflector 3!. Such an arrangemerit insures that all of the light emitting from the lamp will first have been reflected one or more times by the cooperating reflecting surfaces 34 of the main reflector and 3 la of the auxiliary reflector.

From the foregoing description it is apparent that a lamp embodying this invention utilizes simple, readily manufacturable components which may be easily assembledinto a lamp of rugged construction but nevertheless pleasing appearance. Furthermore, the arrangement of the main reflector with respect to the light source provides wide area illumination. The detachable connection of the auxiliary reflector to the lamp assembly permits the lamp to be selectively utilized as a source of direct illumination or as a source of entirely reflected illumination.

It will, of course, be understood that various details of construction may be varied through a Wide range without departing from the principles of this invention and it is, therefore, not the purpose to limit the patent granted hereon otherwise than necessitated by the scope of the appended claims.

I claim as my invention:

1. A lamp comprising an upstanding pedestal member, a main reflector comprising a circular member having a generally concave, downwardly facing, reflecting surface, said pedestal member having the top surface thereof complementarily shaped and abutting a marginal portion of said refiecting'surface, thereby supporting said main reflector, means for rigidly securing said main reflector to said top surface, said pedestal having a laterally opening recess near the top end thereof, a socket mounted in said recess of said pedestal memberand adapted to support a light bulb in underlying relation to said main reflector with the filament thereof} located substantially on the central axis of said main reflector, and an auxiliary reflector having an upwardly facing, arcuate, reflecting surface adapted to surround the bottom'portions ofthelight bulb, means for detachably mounting said aux'iliary reflector on said pedestal, the lower marginaledges of said main reflector overlapping the upper marginal edges of said auxiliary reflector, whereby only reflected light beams are emitted from the lamp.

2. A lamp comprising an upstanding pedestal member, a main'reflector comprising a circular member having a generally concave, downwardly facing, reflecting surface, said pedestal member having the top surface thereof complementarily shaped and abutting a marginal portion of said reflecting surface, means for securing said marginal portion of said reflector to said pedestal, said pedestal member'having a lateral recess in the top portion thereof facing the central axis of said main reflectordefined by axially extending walls, a socket mounted in said recess and adapted to support a lightbulb in underlying relation to said main reflector with the filament thereof located substantially on the central axis of said main reflector, an auxiliary reflector having holes in an end portion thereof,'pins on the end face of the recess defining 'walls having hooked ends engaging in said holes for detachably securing said auxiliary reflector thereto, said auxiliary reflector having an upwardly facing, arcuate reflecting surface adapted to surround the bottom portions of the light bulb, the lower marginal edges of said man reflector overlapping the upper marginal edges'of said auxiliary reflector, whereby only reflected light beams are emitted from the lamp.

3. A lamp convertible from direct to indirect illumination comprising an upstanding pedestal, a main reflector having a downwardly facing arcuate reflecting surface, said main reflector having a marginal portion supported on the top surface of said pedestal, said pedestal having a lat erally opening recess near the top thereof, a socket mounted in said recess an adapted to support a light bulb with the filament thereof disposed substantially on thevertical axis of said main reflector, a pair of pins respectively secured to said pedestal on opposite sides of said recess opening, said pins having laterally projecting end portions, and an auxiliary reflector adapted to surround the bottom-portions of the light bulb,

a o satdauxillary reflector 'being'tomied-of' resiliently UNITED STATES PATENTS deformable materialand having a, paip g, i; .-aper Number Name Date tures arranged to respectively receivefiifi'pi 486 729 No 22 1892 therein by flexing of the auxiliary refle'c if ma- 19791315 Cassidy No 1913 terial, thereby detachably securing liary i crownfield Feb. 2,

reflector to said pedestal. 2 0 2 37 Davis June 1 1937 WILLIAM MASERSON- 2,208,523 Cullman July 16, 1940 2,220,215 Cloutier Nov. 5, 1940 REFERENCES CITED 2,226,222 Doane Dec.24,1940

The following references are of record in the 10 2,302,613 Land Nov. 17, 1942 file 01 this patent: f 2,340,310 Dewey Feb. 1, 1944: 

